Salvation Army textile collections reach 77,000 tonnes as voucher scheme doubles

The Salvation Army Trading Company Ltd (SATCoL) diverted 102,000 tonnes of material from waste in 2024-25, according to its latest social and environmental impact report.

The trading arm of The Salvation Army collected 77,000 tonnes of clothing and 25,000 tonnes of other household items through its nationwide network of charity shops, donation centres and clothing banks. Its reuse and recycling activities helped avoid an estimated 505,000 tonnes of carbon emissions, equivalent to removing 270,000 cars from roads for a year.

The organisation also expanded its direct support to families in need. In 2024-25, SATCoL issued 6,663 free clothing vouchers to families in the UK, representing a 28 per cent increase on the previous year and more than doubling the level of support compared to two years ago.

In total, SATCoL raised £5.43 million for The Salvation Army's community work, alongside £2.87 million distributed to partner charities and local organisations. The charity retailer served approximately 6.9 million customers across more than 250 retail outlets, marking a 15 per cent year-on-year increase.

It operates over 8,350 clothing banks and 195 high street shops alongside 55 donation centres, employing 1,357 staff and engaging 6,091 volunteers.

Recycling and emissions innovation

SATCoL has invested in advanced processing technology to improve textile reuse and recycling. Its Fibersort system automatically identifies the fibre composition of donated clothing and sorts items accordingly, enabling higher-quality recycling. Since installation, the system has processed 1.7 million items. Without this efficient sorting, most non-wearable donations end up in landfill or are incinerated, as they have little value to recyclers.

WRAP's latest report shows that the value of recovered textiles from textile banks and charities has fallen over the last decade. 2023 figures stand at £172.5 per tonne for textile banks and £255 per tonne for charity shops, while 2013 figures were more than double at £406 per tonne for textile banks, and significantly higher at £432 per tonne for charity shops.

The UK consumed 1.42 million tonnes of new textile products in 2022, while generating approximately 1.45 million tonnes of used textiles. Research indicates each person in the UK throws away 3.1kg of textiles each year on average, with 1.7kg ending up in landfill.

Project Re:claim, SATCoL's polyester recycling facility, processed 195 tonnes of waste polyester material and produced over 135 tonnes of pellets during the reporting period. The commercial-scale operation won Recycler of the Year at the Plastics Industry Awards in December 2024, demonstrating viability for closed-loop textile recycling.

Carbon reduction progress

SATCoL reduced operational carbon emissions by 6 per cent compared to its 2019-20 baseline, with 68 per cent of company vehicles now electric and 27 per cent hybrid. The organisation sources 100 per cent of electricity from certified renewable suppliers and has completed LED conversion in 99.6 per cent of retail outlets.

Trevor Caffull, SATCoL Managing Director, said: "At a time when many people are experiencing high costs of living and facing hardship, The Salvation Army offers hope and practical help. We focus on serving our communities and we are investing in new recycling technologies here in the UK."

The report highlights the challenges facing the charity retail sector, as WRAP research shows that 49 per cent of used textiles in the UK end up in residual waste bins. The average person in the UK discards 35 items of unwanted textiles into general waste annually, with UK textile collectors and sorters currently paying out £88 million yearly to deal with worn-out clothes.